


THE MAN BEHIND THE MAN: ALEXANDER HAMILTON’S QUESTIONABLE RISE TO THE TOP

by katharienne



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: (but they are barely there), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Gen, Journalism, News Media, POV Third Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 10:26:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29276904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katharienne/pseuds/katharienne
Summary: [A picture of President George Washington at an official function; he’s standing tall, back straight, a small, private smile on his face. On his left side, there’s a short, young man in an ill-fitting suit, with his hair in a pony-tail. He’s leaning heavily towards Washington, looking sharply ahead, likely pointing something or someone out to the President. That man is Alexander Hamilton.]
Comments: 9
Kudos: 10





	THE MAN BEHIND THE MAN: ALEXANDER HAMILTON’S QUESTIONABLE RISE TO THE TOP

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LadyMostDeject](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyMostDeject/gifts).
  * Inspired by [I Use My Outside Voice (Because I Have No Choice)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23043139) by [LadyMostDeject](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyMostDeject/pseuds/LadyMostDeject). 



> Written for LadyMostDeject and set in the universe she created for her story I Use My Outside Voice (Because I Have No Choice). It's a very well-written Jamilton ABO!verse fic that feels more like a West Wing AU and I highly recommend it to everyone who digs the main pairing or just the main characters in general. I like it so much that I keep coming back to it and well, the next thing I know, this happened. I have no excuses.
> 
> If you haven't read the original, you will probably have no idea what this is about. It does not exist on its own. It's a News Media!fic, a pretend profile article that balances between New Your Times's pretentiousness and Buzzfeed's tendency to gossip. It's also not very nice, rather condescending and I had a lot of fun writing it! The ridiculous titles, the photo descriptions, the wild speculations - it was such a trip!
> 
> Please bear in mind that I added some information that has never been mentioned in the I Use My Outside Voice. The fic is compliant with the main story up to Chapter Three, the last one published. I needed to built a little upon what we already know for the article to make more sense but it's all speculation on my part.
> 
> And finally, dear LadyMostDeject, I hope you don't hate me. Have a great day!

**THE MAN BEHIND THE MAN: ALEXANDER HAMILTON’S QUESTIONABLE RISE TO THE TOP**

_by This Pretentious Asshole From A Respectable Newspaper Everybody Loves For Some Reason_

_[A picture of President George Washington at an official function; he’s standing tall, back straight, a small, private smile on his face. On his left side, there’s a short, young man in an ill-fitting suit, with his hair in a pony-tail. He’s leaning heavily towards Washington, looking sharply ahead, likely pointing something or someone out to the President. That man is Alexander Hamilton.]_

For the first few years of George Washington’s presidency, I have barely noticed him. Even though he was already quite well-known for his big mouth and even bigger ideas (as well as epic, meme-worthy Twitter tangents), in many ways Alexander Hamilton remained unassuming. Small. Both in stature and importance. After all, there were so many more interesting, colorful characters in Washington’s administration to follow: Vice President John Adams with his poorly-hidden family drama; Secretary of State John Jay, ever the diplomat; Defense Secretary Jonathan Trumbull Jr. and his career-ending Russian scandal; and of course the newcomers, especially Washington’s Chiefs of Staff – Thomas Jefferson and Gilbert de Lafayette.

Considering the fact that one of these individuals will be soon sworn in as America’s next president, it is no wonder that there was a time I did not take note of one Alexander Hamilton. Even though his quick rise in the ranks among Washington’s inner circle was interesting considering the man’s background – Puerto Rican, not from any affluent family, and an Omega – his position as the White House Communications Director did not warrant much attention neither from journalists, nor from policy analysts.

For me, that changed in early 2011. Back then I was already picking apart all of Washington’s public speeches. I was fascinated by the President, the epitome of a traditional Alpha, who could both appeal to the American people’s family values and pave such a clear path to gradual social change. One day I had commented on this in the presence of a friend who was, at the time, working at the White House.

“Oh, that’s mostly Hamilton”, she waved her hand dismissively, “Washington always lets him get away with stuff like that. Thinks Hamilton’s ear’s more to the ground or some other nonsense.”

_Well_ , I had thought to myself. _Isn’t that interesting?_

After all these years I am really glad that I let my curiosity get the better of me. If I didn’t, how would I even start on writing a piece on the man that most likely will become the first Omega Secretary of Civil Liberties?

The first Omega cabinet Member _ever_?

**THE BELLE OF THE BALL**

_[A candid picture of a group of young people at a party. At the center we can see Alexander Hamilton with his arm around another man, one that can be identified as John Laurens, an Alpha and first-born son to Senator Henry Laurens.]_

He comes from nothing, as he likes to say. Born in Puerto Rico, he has known loss from a very young age – first with his father walking out on the family, then with his mother succumbing to illness. The details on the period of time between him moving in with a family friend – a respectable and well-off Beta store owner – and coming to the mainland on a scholarship are few and scarce. He lived through the hurricane Hugo that devasted his homeland in 1989 to (quite literally) tell the tale. His moving description of that tragedy found its way to _The Washington Post_ and became the first of many works he has published since then.

At college, the prestigious Columbia University, Hamilton excelled. His professors agreed that he was very sharp for an Omega, with a bright mind and big dreams. While majoring in law and minoring in econometrics he met John Lawrence. The Alpha and heir to Republican Senator Henry Lawrence’s fortune quickly became infatuated with Hamilton and the two started a tumultuous relationship. Hamilton was often seen on Lawrence’s arm at school events and sometimes at official functions thrown by John’s father. Word has it that Senator Lawrence never fully approved of the relationship but it had little to do with Hamilton’s sketchy background. Even though every father would prefer to see his son make a more influential match, it wouldn’t be the first time a young pretty Omega married into a good family. Unfortunately for the pair, Senator Lawrence was not taken with young Alexander Hamilton on a more personal level.

A college friend of the two remembers it put a lot of strain on the relationship: “John’s father didn’t like that Alex was Puerto Rican, sure, but what he actually despised about him was that he was a sworn liberal. Alex was very open when it came to his views on about anything. John loved it, of course, was fascinated by it. I think knowing Alex changed him on a fundamental level, helped him reach his true potential, even if they didn’t end up together.”

If John Lawrence’s true potential was becoming a little-known lawyer at Southern Poverty Law Center and a registered Democrat, then yes, Hamilton did help him with that. But it is obvious that this is not what Senator Lawrence envisioned for his first-born Alpha son.

Hamilton and young Lawrence eventually broke up. The relationship, however, got Hamilton some traction; it opened doors that once upon a time would be firmly shut in his face. Lawrence’s friends became Hamilton’s friends and coincidentally - they mostly came from families that had their fingers in all the right pies.

**THE GENERAL’S RIGHT HAND MAN**

_[Another picture of George Washington, this time at the Oval Office, talking with some officials. At the corner, hunched over and scribbling furiously, is once again Alexander Hamilton.]_

Hamilton worked for George Washington for nearly half of his life. Their relationship is a strange one. It definitely resisted speculations (and there were many) about its impropriety, the public opinion finally settling on it being something closer to a familial bond. An important factor there was most certainly Martha Washington’s approval of the young man. Mrs Washington, who has two children from her first marriage, but none with her current husband, has been rumored to “basically adopt” Hamilton.

“She definitely loves him, God knows why,” a close friend of the Washingtons confides. “Maybe because she’s an Omega herself and both of her children are Betas? Or maybe she just felt sorry for him. Either way, Hamilton was hanging around their house a lot, even back when he worked for Washington’s law firm.”

Washington&Associates was Hamilton’s first serious employment. He started interning at the company during his last year at law school and to the surprise of many got hired right after graduation. It is difficult to imagine how his life would have gone if his and Washington’s paths didn’t cross. Most definitely he would lead a more normal life, finally settling on one partner and starting a family. But power and influence can go to anyone’s head and this unhealthy cocktail was exactly what George Washington served Hamilton when he extended an invitation to stay on his staff when he himself entered the realm of politics.

Hamilton is said to have swayed Washington more then once. Even though his position was never one of a policy maker, he still managed to become one. One way to leave his mark on Washington’s Senate and White House years was, as I have already stated, through speech-writing. It is a well-known fact that anything George Washington has ever said in public was prepared or out-lined by Alexander Hamilton. Every line-to-take, every Tweet, every witty response to a question posed by a reporter – it all had to go through Hamilton before it even made it to Washington’s desk.

The other was, of course, his close personal relationship with the man.

“We often wondered how many of Washington’s opinions on, like, Omega rights, or immigration, or social transfers were his own and how much of it was already filtered by his acquaintance with Hamilton,” another speech-writer who worked for some time under Hamilton says. “Sometimes it seemed as if Washington did not think about these issues objectively, but in relation specifically to Hamilton. It was always a little weird but Hamilton, smart as he is, knew how to use it to his advantage.”

In the end, did Washington make Hamilton, or did Hamilton make Washington? The line between one and another remains blurred.

**SECRETARY GREMLIN**

Most White House staffers, both Democrat and Republican, call him simply “Hamilton”. No name, no title, no “sir”. When asked why they would forego the more traditional and courteous “Mr Alexander”, they shrug and say they do not care for another lecture (the word “rant” gets thrown around a lot) about the offensiveness of such outdated pleasantries.

Hamilton, as it seems, is not an easy person to work with. Although the few friends he has made along the way are powerful enough to offer him all the protection he needs, his critics are many and vehement. Alphas, Betas and Omegas, Democrats and Republicans alike are quick to point out Hamilton’s poor personal conduct, loose morals, lack of manners and social graces. It seems that Hamilton’s work ethic is his only saving grace, even though for some the very fact that he married his job instead of a respectable Alpha or Beta is damning enough.

Up to this point, President-Elect Thomas Jefferson was definitely among those rather skeptical about Alexander Hamilton’s political prowess. An Alpha and a Republican, it is easy to see why he would be bothered by an unmated Omega running around the White House unchecked. What is more, Mr. Jefferson is known for his sense of propriety. He remains a bachelor, sadly, but as he has always pointed out to the more nosy reporters, he dedicated his life to politics a long time ago. Any partner of his would always come second to his duty to the American people, apparently, and that is not something he wishes to inflict upon another person.

Jefferson’s voluntary solitude starkly contrasts with Hamilton’s exploits. After ending his only serious relationship with John Lawrence some fifteen years ago, Hamilton dated a lot of people of all genders, seemingly without any intention of settling down.

“We joke that his standards are so low that the only requirement in a partner he has is for them to not be a Republican,” one person offers. “He hasn’t been seen with anyone new for a few years now, mind you, but I guess that has more to do with his age then preference. He’s basically a spinster now, even if he hates when people point that out.”

It is a little disquieting, how readily all of my White House contacts open up when I ask about the Hamilton-Jefferson feud. Like it’s more of a joke than a serious problem within the future administration. Hamilton and Jefferson first met while working on George Washington’s first Senate campaign and are rumored to have taken an instant dislike for one another.

“The fights were epic,” admits one of my informants who worked with them back then. “The smallest things would set them off. We made bets on what they were going to start screaming at each other about next.”

_[A picture of a charity function. It was clearly taken to show somebody else but now was cropped and zoomed in to focus on Hamilton and Jefferson standing close to the open buffet and talking animatedly with each other. Hamilton is waving his hand, mouth wide open. Jefferson’s stance is closed-off and even though you can’t see their faces well, he exudes derision.]_

The stories are endless. Hamilton and Jefferson argued non-stop, with little care for their audience or surroundings. They also did not try to hide what they think about each other. Hamilton had a rather colorful array of insults for his future Commander-in-Chief, while Jefferson was once caught asking loudly: “Who let the little gremlin out of the basement?” in reference to Hamilton showing unexpectedly at a meeting.

Another ex-White House official states: “There was definitely something off about their relationship. I’ve always fought that it had less to do with their opposing ideals and more with something mundane, like, their scents just didn’t mesh up and that’s why they reacted so strongly to each other. Apart, they were both alright to work with. Maybe in the early days Jefferson was a little over-confident and Hamilton somewhat over-eager but they were also very competent individuals, good at their jobs.”

Indeed, they were. Both caught the attention of Washington himself and got invited to stay on as members of his staff. The animosity, however, didn’t go away.

“They just don’t like each other,” says Jill Mendez, who worked for George Washington during his Senate years. “There’s literally nothing they agree on. I am a very surprised that Thomas decided to go with Hamilton for Civil Liberties Sec. From what I’ve heard, the last couple of years the drama between those two kind of died down, but that doesn’t mean they will be able to actually work well together.”

_[A picture of Thomas Jefferson as President-Elect during a White House press conference. Behind him in a neat line stand his official picks for the cabinet, with Alexander Hamilton a little off-side, his shoulders stiff and head held high. He looks determined, maybe even a little grim.]_

Mrs Mendez is not alone in her confusion. Nobody in the White House seems to know how did Hamilton get himself a spot on Jefferson’s team, in his cabinet, nonetheless. When asked about it, James Madison, Jefferson’s running mate, calmly explains how the Jefferson administration is going to be non-partisan and led more by experts than politicians.

Ironically, none of that explains Hamilton taking over Civil Liberties, a department dealing with human rights – an area of law which he has virtually no knowledge of. Unless being an Omega himself counts – but I think even Hamilton would be offended by such a statement.

However, those with a keen eye for both politics and gossip may note a disconcerting pattern when it comes to Hamilton’s protectors and patrons. From John Laurens to George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton’s tendency to stay close to powerful, affluent Alphas seems to be a constant in his personal and professional life. He is intelligent, well-educated, a talented wordsmith, capable of molding public opinion through passionate and heartfelt speeches. But does this really make him the most competent person to take over the position he’s been offered?

That, of course, remains to be seen. As well as Mr Jefferson’s plan for the Department of Civil Liberties. There is no doubt in the public’s eye that Civil Liberties needs a strong and capable leader to pull it out of the sluggishness it fell into in the last ten years or so. At first glance, Hamilton seems to be a perfect person to shake things up a bit. A loud, bothersome, unconventional Omega with an unhealthy attachment to Twitter is certainly a change.

But is it a right one? As word gets around that Jefferson passed on Aaron Burr, a seasoned human rights Beta lawyer with powerful connections, for the position, one has to wonder. What will the Jefferson administration gain with a cabinet member that is sure to divide the better part of the American people? Is it really to instigate change?

Or are we supposed to watch Hamilton basically just “be an Omega in the White House” and miss this administration’s other, more important ventures?

Let’s find out.

**Author's Note:**

> I would also like to say I am so very sorry that I imagine Alex using Twitter with the same fervor Trump does, just, you know, while holding different opinions.
> 
> I also apologize for any mistakes and general weirdness - I am neither American, nor a native English speaker.


End file.
